Southwest Airline Questions

I just booked a flight for Christmas travel on Southwest.

I understand that if I can find flights between the two cities that are cheaper than what I paid, I can rebook at no cost and get the difference in a credit good towards a flight in the future.

What is the best way people have found to check for lower fares? Is there any way to set up an e-mail or text alert to notify me if the fare drops?

Also, how is flying standby on Southwest? Or "missing" the first flight of the day and getting on a later flight which would have been more expensive to book? Would I have to pay the difference?

Thanks,

Wrosie

Just go to the Southwest web site and check them every day. i check at least twice a day to see if the prices change.

Yes, just check. I thought there was a change fee when I did it last....like $5 or something but I may be mistaken.

I have never had a change fee. The money that goes toward another flight is good for 1 year from the time you first book the flight.

As far as trying for standyby...good luck. It depends where you are flying from to Vegas, but out of Nashville, the plane has been full the last 10 trips. As for missing a flight, I recently saw a little notice saying that if you miss it without cancelling 10 minutes before, you forfit cost of flight.

Just curious with the internet and all the new travel sites does anyone use a travel agent anymore?

If there is a "fare drop notification" function with Southwest, I don't know of it.

I also check the fares daily when I have a trip booked. Especially on Tuesday mornings, when they re-price flights.

Be sure that you select the "change flight" button. Don't cancel a flight altogether and then re-book.

SWA used to put a no-show's funds back into their account automatically, but no longer. Yes, you could end up paying more to re-book, unless you have a really good sob story and get a sympathetic agent, a big snowstorm affecting travel, etc. But don't count on it.

PJ, yes they sometimes assess a $5 fee if the change adds another stop/city, even when same price. I've had it happen.

They don't let you fly standby, if there are seats available on a different flight, then you have to pay the difference in the fare if there are seats available. Changing flights on the day you're due to fly out means you will be paying the highest "anytime fare", so if you booked a "wanna get away" ticket, you're going to probably be paying a hefty difference to take an earlier or later flight.

I said that wrong. What I meant to say is that if you are no-show, you lose the money you paid for that flight, period. Unless weather is a factor, the good sob story is bought, etc. And you'll likely pay much more to book a flight same day, as Erin described.

I remember (before SWA was even in existance) when you could book a flight on "stand-by" basis for less than full fare. I did this a lot when I was in school, Memphis to Little Rock and back, usually American Airlines. Always got a seat. I think those days are long gone for all airlines.

Once (1967), a bunch of us student nurses booked round trip Stand-by Memphis to New York City, American Airlines, for a student nurse convention. No problem getting to NYC. We had booked the last flight of the day to return so that we could get in more sight-seeing. When we got to what is now JFK, around 10:00 pm or so, there had been some sort of problem and passengers from another flight were loaded onto "our" flight, thus no room for us Stand-by's. They did fix us up on a Braniff flight that would leave the next morning. We had to trek probably a mile from the American building of JFK to the Braniff building, then sit up all night, super-tired, to wait. There were no benches in the terminal on which to stretch out. All seats/benches had dividers. Only hard floor. Most miserable night I can remember. Upon getting on that plane in the morning we immediately curled up in our seats to sleep (much better seats way back then), even waved off the breakfast they were serving (real breakfast, eggs, bacon, etc). One in our group, her mom had paid for full fare for the trip, so she didn't get bumped off the return flight like we did. Yuk.

I didn't realize SW charged if you were a no-show. I was just telling my husband if you don't show up, they will give you the credit for future flights. They keep tightening up everything, but I still think they're better than other airlines.

One thing I don't like is their new point system. Many times if we try to use points and have to purchase additional points for a ticket, it costs more than booking the fight without points....it's stupid.